County Fair on School Property (VA)

This is a discussion on County Fair on School Property (VA) within the Concealed Carry Issues & Discussions forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Yesterday (Sunday) I took the family to the county fair in Arlington, VA--we were looking for something different to do. Well, although I commute to ...

County Fair on School Property (VA)

Yesterday (Sunday) I took the family to the county fair in Arlington, VA--we were looking for something different to do. Well, although I commute to Pentagon City/Arlington every day, I am not real familiar with the area. My wife got the address for the fair from the internet, I got the cross street and off we went.

Parking was a hassle, so I followed the signs to overflow parking where there was a shuttle to take you back to the fair. Once we got to the fair I saw signs that indicated it was a school & *community center*...then the requisite "No drugs/No guns/Criminal Empowerment Zone" signs . My wife flashed me a look and asked me if I had my tools with me (P229/.40S&W w/spare mag)--she saw the signs too!

Not wanting to be arrested in front of my family, and risk my employment with the USG, I walked back to the car to store my firearm. Come to find out the "Career Center" parking lot being used for overflow is also used by an elementary school!!---I couldn't freakin' win!

I ended up going back to the fair...unarmed...and so mad I could spit.

There need to be changes to the law about firearms and schools...like if the school property isn't being used as a school function, it should be considered another piece of public property--you know, where I can carry legally?--Not some special feel good zone. Schools around here don't start for another week or two...

Has anyone else run into this problem?

Yes...I did consider not going back to the fair, but we fought traffic northbound on I-95 for a little over an hour and didn't want to deal with the grief between my wife, kids and my parents (visiting from IL). This is cr@p!

Well, here in NC at least, you can't carry in places such as: parades, places where admission was paid to get in, movie theaters or on school property basicly large gathering places. This even at times as specific distances in which you can't be in possession of a weapon. For example, "no weapons within so many feet of the school." Sorry to hear that but its how the game is played at this point.

Oregon = Doesn't matter if it's at a school or not, you have permit, you can carry.

They tried to do an endswing around the law in Portland and it was ruled that they couldn't enforce any "new portland laws" that they make up on the spot.

Also, they tried to deem alittle party they had back in 2004 as being a privite event so the people putting on the event could prohibit firearms.

The city lost on both accounts. One, it wasn't ruled as a privite event (since the city was paying for it and also because it was open to the public (except CCW)) and that there were no provisions in the law that states that privite property/businesses open to the public can make up their own anti-gun laws.

You did the right thing. Unfortunately, the law is the law in that instance so you followed and obeyed the law to the best of your ability. That's why CCW'rs are who we are. We obey the laws to the greatest extent of our ability while protecting ourselves, our families, and our friends to the same.

Hopefully, in my lifetime, society will finally figure out the real reasons crime happens and allow law-abiding people the right to protect themselves from it everywhere. We shall see...